FlightBlogger - Aviation News, Commentary and Analysis

777F Flight Test Preview

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:52:51 -0500

MULTIMEDIA EXTRA: Listen to Chief 777 Test Pilot Suzanna Darcy-Henneman provide an audio briefing on the 777F flight test program from May 21, 2008 - 20 minutes.

With 777F first flight just days away, Chief 777 test pilot Suzanna Darcy-Henneman and right seat test pilot Van Chaney are getting ready for a busy summer.

Once the Freighter takes to the sky for the first time, "The airplane will take off out of Paine Field, go up and down the Olympics several times around Mt. Rainier for some great beauty shots and into Boeing field."

Darcy-Henneman, who was also at the controls for the 777-200LR first flight, as well as its record breaking flight, is looking forward to the moment during first flight when she and her first officer are able to catch their breath and take stock of what they have achieved. Before that, Darcy-Henneman adds, it's all business.

The 777F test aircraft will be based at Boeing Field in Seattle for the remainder of the flight test campaign.

"All the rest of the takeoffs and landings will be in and out of Boeing Field." Darcy-Henneman added.

The flight test program will consist of two aircraft, both destined for launch customer Air France Cargo. Both will be flown for total 300-350 hours and about double that number for ground testing.

Initially the first 777F, which will wear Boeing colors for the flight test program will fly six days a week, with the seventh for maintenance, with ten and a half flight crews responsible for the program. The second aircraft will fly five days a week and the sixth will be used for maintenance. Ground testing will require a minimum of two crews. Boeing expects the combined 900-1,050 test hours to last around two and a half months.

Eighty percent of the flight test program will test smoke detection and smoke penetration, which is typical of a freighter flight test program.

For testing the performance of the aircraft, maneuver load alleviation (MLA) has been built into the flight control software to reduce the need for structure that would otherwise be required to accommodate higher operating weights.

The flight control system moves the center of lift inboard to reduce the bending moment at the root of the wing. The system is activated at 44 degrees of bank and works by extending the outboard spoilers and ailerons to move to center of lift inboard. The surfaces would be slightly extended at 44 degrees and 1/3 extended in a 66 degree banked turn.

The aircraft is expected to travel to Phoenix, Arizona for high and hot testing later this summer.

As for other exotic locales Darcy-Henneman said, "The airplane would love to go to Farnborough, we would too, but we will be busy at home testing."

Special thanks to Addison Schonland for hosting the 777F briefing.

Alenia North America Statement on ZA004

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:22:26 -0500

In full:

A contractor performing work on behalf of Alenia Composite (an Alenia Aeronautica Company) at the Global Aeronautica facility in South Carolina failed to follow proper procedure. The contractor was an experienced aviation mechanic not local to Charleston S.C. The individual was immediately terminated.

This error resulted in a production issue that has since been repaired. Global Aeronautica was able to continue to perform some scheduled work in parallel. As a result of the necessary repair time, the delivery of the fuselage section to Everett has been delayed by The Boeing Company. Global Aeronautica is currently awaiting a revised delivery date from The Boeing Company.

Exclusive: Boeing delays Dreamliner Four in Charleston after structural damage

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:20:11 -0500

Delivery of the fourth 787 flight test aircraft has been delayed due to damage sustained to the center fuselage at the Global Aeronautica facility in Charleston, SC, Boeing has confirmed.

Sources in both Everett and Charleston tell FlightBlogger that the repair, which was completed this past weekend, centers around damage caused to section 44, a monolithic bonnet structure joined to the center wing box fabricated by Italy's Alenia Aeronautica.

"An Alenia Aeronautica employee had an issue not following proper procedures, we've had a production issue that has resulted," said Boeing. "The repair has been completed and the issue has been resolved."

Boeing is currently assessing the schedule situation adding that, "we will know soon" when the center fuselage will be delivered.

Alenia North America, which holds a fifty-percent share in the Global Aeronautica joint venture with Boeing, was unable to comment on the incident by press time.

Boeing underscored that the incident was isolated and unrepresentative of the production system but declined to provide specific details about the incident.

According to sources, incorrect fasteners were improperly installed in the wrong holes causing damage to the composite structure during the join process in Charleston. When installed, each fastener "splintered out the hole" causing significant enough damage to postpone delivery of the center fuselage.

Boeing added that Global Aeronautica would have met the commitment of the completion of assembly and on-time delivery had the incident not taken place. As a result, the center fuselage is being held in Charleston for continuing assembly work to meet the level of completion originally committed to Boeing by Global Aeronautica.

Boeing does not currently have a timeline for the delivery of the center fuselage for Dreamliner Four to Everett.

Indications of the delay arose last week when the nose and center fuselage sections were removed from the delivery calendar without explanation.

Boeing and Global Aeronautica have a "zero tolerance for fiber breakout" for composite structure prompting the time-consuming repairs to section 44, says a veteran engineer familiar with the problems.

Boeing acknowledged that the follow-on impact of the delay to the flight test program and overall FAA certification, if any, is unclear.

Bombardier Unveils new CSeries Variant

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:46:12 -0500

My colleague Mary Kirby got a huge scoop today on the specifications for Bombardier's CSeries. (initial details) The full story should be running at flightglobal.com soon. The new variant gives good indication of customer interest if Bombardier is willing to tailor a new variant around specific types of performance.

Bombardier unveils new CSeries variant; changes current specs
Mary Kirby, Philadelphia (30 Jun 08 14:17 GMT)

Bombardier plans to develop a short-range, high-thrust variant of the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF)-powered CSeries 130, should it opt this year to launch the proposed 110/130-seat aircraft programme.

The new variant, called the CSeries 130XT, was revealed as part of Bombardier's release of new performance specifications and dimensions - including a longer wingspan and shorter external lengths - for the family of aircraft, which also comprises the CSeries 110, 110ER, 130 and 130ER.

June 30 - The Week Ahead Open Thread

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:00:00 -0500

777F to the sky!
Boeing has narrowed its 777F first flight from June 27 to July 9. The heart of that window is this week and sources point to July 3 as the likely date for the new freighter to fly for the first time. This, of course, depends on the weather. Look for the first engine start, low and high sped taxi tests ahead of first flight this week. (You really don't want these to happen...after...first flight)

Also, I'll be doing a preview post running through the flight test program top to bottom later this week with a briefing from 777 Chief Test Pilot Suzanna Darcy-Henneman. In the meantime, take a look at Boeing Unveils Radical Flight Test Reorganization by Guy Norris and North Texans Helping to Build Aviation's Future by Bob Cox.

I'm using 777F as a test run for potential new techniques for covering 787 first flight, so keep an eye out for those.

A380 Number Five
Singapore Airlines collected MSN010 (9V-SKE), the fifth A380 delivered, this past weekend clearing the way for delivery of MSN011 to Emirates, the second A380 customer on July 28th. MSN010 will be tasked with flying Olympic traffic to Beijing during the first week of August leading up to the 08.08.08 start of the Summer games.

Oil, Oil, Oil
The entire industry is already on red alert about the price of oil and there's a distinct possibility we see a price for a barrel going north to $150. (shudder)

New Look
I hit on this a little bit last week, but the new design should be ready this week right as this blog cross the 1,000,000 page load mark since I first joined Flight. The new layout should bear a striking resemblance to David Learmount's new blog, cleverly titled Learmount.

And this...

The caption as it was sent to me:
The attached photo was taken at the UPS first flight ceremony at Nagoya for the start of their Anchorage to Nagoya and Nagoya to Shanghai routes. As chance would have it, the first-ever A380 flight to Japan, a Singapore Airlines flight from Changi to Narita, was diverted to Nagoya because of bad weather in Tokyo. A Boeing Large Cargo Freighter made its scheduled arrival to ferry out 787 components, just as the A380 was departing for Narita. The result is a picture of the largest passenger plane and largest freighter together.

Special thanks to EW for the photo

World Premier: Pratt & Whitney's GTF Trailer

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:29:39 -0500

In dramatic fashion, Pratt & Whitney has produced a video previewing its upcoming flight test program for the new Geared Turbofan engine. The company graciously given FlightBlogger the trailer for its world premier here on the blog.

Some more background:

Geared Turbofan™ Engine Completes Phase II Ground Testing, Cleared for First Flight
BERLIN AIR SHOW 2008 - May 28, 2008 - Pratt & Whitney's Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine has completed Phase II ground tests and has been cleared for flight testing on Pratt & Whitney's 747SP flying test bed mid-year. Phase II, which began in April at Pratt & Whitney's advanced test facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., focused on engine performance and ground acoustics with the Geared Turbofan engine's flight capable nacelle system. The engine completed 120 hours of testing during Phase II and has logged a total 250 hours since ground testing began in November 2007. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp.

Now, without further delay...

Spiroid Wingtip Technology: The best kept secret in aviation?

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:39:51 -0500

EXTRA: Listen to the IAG Podcast with Aviation Partners CEO Joe Clark

Imagine an improvement in aerodynamics that might just have the potential to transform aviation.

Joe Clark, CEO of Aviation Partners, believes he's got just the thing.

Spiroid tipped wing technology has the potential to save airlines a lot of fuel. Rather than the blended winglet, which has become the standard for all new Boeing 737s coming off the line, a Spiroid tipped wing differs by curving over to create a loop at the end of the wingtip.

According to Aviation Partners, "The Spiroid eliminates concentrated wingtip vortices, which represent nearly half the induced drag generated during cruise."

The technology isn't new. In fact, Dr. Louis Gratzer, Vice President of Technology for Aviation Partners has held the patent on the Spiroid tipped wings since 1992. When the winglets first flew on a Gulfstream II, Aviation Partners yielded a 10% improvement in fuel burn.

In a short-haul environment, a 10% improvement with Spiroid tipped wings could be the stepping-stone to the next-generation in fuel efficiency.

For example, the new Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan has touted a 12-15% improvement in SFC (specific fuel consumption). Pratt & Whitney has always affirmed that the 12-15% improvement is separate from whatever gains in efficiency are delivered through aerodynamic refinement of the aircraft.

The coupling of these two technologies could deliver fuel burn improvements up to 22-25%, exceeding even the most optimistic of forecasts without radical changes in engine technology or aircraft configuration that might be required with an unducted fan or blended wing body for example.

From an aerodynamic standpoint, Clark added that the Spiroids are compatible for any swept wing aircraft. Testing on a Falcon 50 will begin in 3-4 months to further validate the technology.

"We need to get out and do the full flight test realm. We don't know what they are going to do in icing and in flutter," said Clark.

Following the Falcon 50 Spiroid flight tests later this year, Clark wants to test the technology on a Boeing 777. On the longer-range 777s, this would require the removal of the raked wing tips. Boeing's raked winglets provide a 5.5% improvement in fuel burn over the original 777-200/200ER/300 aircraft.

Boeing has estimated that for every 1% improvement in fuel burn, the 777 would gain 75 nm in range, 10 more passengers or 2,400 pounds of cargo.

A doubling in wingtip efficiency with Spiroids could open the door for new routes for airlines. The famed 'Kangaroo Route', the non-stop flight between Sydney and London could finally be in reach. The 777-200LR is able to make the journey one-way, but the route has never been economically viable because of the prevailing winds that limit payload capacity. A 4.5% improvement in fuel burn could, once and for all, open up the route.

Fuel Bites

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:39:56 -0500

I'm working on a bunch of differing things this week that will be rolled out in the coming days and weeks. We're also working on a new design for the blog I think you'll really like. I finished up the new header yesterday and added gave representation to all four members of the B.A.B.E.. It should be ready to roll before Farnborough, which is creeping up on us rapidly.

If I had to shake my magic 8-ball today and ask if the price of oil is going to dominate Farnborough, the answer would almost certainly be: "Signs point to yes"

I added a new widget to the blog that tells you the current painful price of crude oil. With fuel this high, I just hope there's an industry to cover in a year. (Uncomfortable laugh)

Some important stories to take a look at:

How the Airlines Are Wasting Fuel
By Rick Seaney
ABC News

Oil Surge May Cost Jet Makers Orders
By J. Lynn Lunsford and Susan Carey
Wall Street Journal

Aerospace Notebook: MD-80 era winding down as fuel costs rise
By James Wallace
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Airlines facing shrinking pains as fuel prices surge
By Julie Johnsson
Chicago Tribune

June 23 - The Week Ahead Open Thread

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:42:52 -0500

Boeing's Goings On
Boeing launched its power-on feature at newairplane.com. It gives a good rundown of the power-on process, as well as some of the first shots of a very alive ZA001 flight deck. Also, it looks as though the first sections of LN7, the first production 787 for ANA, have been delivered to the US. Section 43 from Kawasaki stopped in Everett yesterday on its way to Charleston soon.

This week will bring us the commencement of final assembly operations for ZA004 after this weekend's line move and ZY998's Friday transfer to the 767 line. Lastly, Wednesday marks the one year anniversary of the original 787 roll-out.

Image Courtesy The Boeing Company

A380 Convoy
Over the next few days a fresh set of wings and a horizontal stabilizer will be winding across the French countryside on their way to Toulouse. Not sure who the lucky airline recipient will be, but please let me know if you spot it along the way.

GTF to the Sky
Keep an eye out, Pratt & Whitney's Geared Turbofan is expected to take to the skies under the wing of a 747SP in the very near future. This page will feature an exclusive video previewing the beginning of flight testing in the next few days.

Oshkosh B'Gosh
As if next month wasn't going to be busy enough, I've been (happily) assigned to cover the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI in late July. Quite wonderfully, they've opened their doors to bloggers, so it's going to be a new media fest at 'Aviation Paradise'. Also, I'm quite content to fly commercial, but I wanted to see if anyone on the east coast was flying privately and had an extra seat for this blogger. I wanted to do an feature chronicling the journey out there hop-by-hop across the United States. (will help with gas)

F'Blogger@F'Boro
Quick question to you all, what do you want to see from FlightBlogger at Farnborough? Interviews? Topics?

After power-on, what's next for 787?

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:22:37 -0500

Image Courtesy The Boeing Company

The completion of the 787 first power-on sets the stage for the next phase of the Dreamliner's march toward first flight. The milestone was met to the day according to sources familiar with the schedule.

The initial power-on testing began on June 11 and wrapped up yesterday. The testing, according to one program source, went more smoothly than initially anticipated. The program staffer stated that, "This is one thing [Boeing] thought was going to be a major issue in our program." The staffer added that Boeing never expected problems to crop up in the supply chain.

Gauntlet testing is next on the agenda for Dreamliner One. The aircraft's computer system will be fooled into thinking its flying to simulate every imaginable phase of flight, as well as a myriad of potential failures.

"That's really when the fun starts, we can really see how stable the airplane is. So, are there any problems that need to be resolved?" 787 VP and General Manager Pat Shanahan said in mid-May. "Guess what, there will be lots of those," he added. "And the idea is none of them will be severe...I expect people run in every half hour and they'll drop their grenade, then we'll dispatch the right people and we'll go resolve those issues."

For months, Boeing had planned its timeline around the completion of first power-on for ZA001. With this task now complete, the fatigue aircraft (ZY998) will be moved this evening (June 20) to the 767 line, then later to the fatigue rig for testing. The open assembly station will allow ZA002 and ZA003 to move to the third and second assembly stations respectively.

CONTINUED BELOW (WITH EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS)

Boeing Achieves 787 Power On

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:29:20 -0500

EVERETT, Wash., June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) has completed the Power On sequence for the first 787 Dreamliner, marking the completion of the next major milestone on the path to first flight later this year.

Power On is a complex series of tasks and tests that bring electrical power onto the airplane and begin to exercise the use of the electrical systems. The 787 is a more-electric airplane with the pneumatic, or bleed air, system being totally replaced by electronics.

"The team has made great progress in bringing the bold innovation of the 787 to reality," said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "There is plenty of work to be done between now and first flight, but with every step forward we grow more and more confident."

The Power On sequence began in early June with a series of pretest continuity checks to verify that the wiring installed in the airplane had been connected properly. Upon completion of those checks, the Boeing team plugged in an external power cart and slowly began to bring full power into each segment of the system, beginning with the flight deck displays. From that point forward, the pilot's controls were used to direct the addition of new systems to the power grid.

Read the full release

BYOIFE

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:53:36 -0500

Bring Your Own In-Flight Entertainment

Who needs in-flight movie selections when you can hook up to iTunes movie rentals at 30,000 feet for $3.99? Count this blogger in for a connected flight!

The Non-Merger Merger

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:05:56 -0500

With oil spiraling towards $150, Continental a found the 4th way to survive the fuel crisis. In conjunction with the retirement of the Classic 737s, the airline is joining up with Star Alliance and apparently abandoning Sky Team and Delta-Northwest in the process. It's another way to cut capacity by sharing revenue on overlapping routes. It's the non-merger merger.

What's the best way to operate a profitable route? Let someone else fly it.

Larry Kellner was quite clear in his desire to keep Continental on its own. Should be very interesting to see how this one plays out.

Continental Airlines and United Airlines Announce Comprehensive Plan for Global Cooperation; Continental Plans to Join Star Alliance

CHICAGO, June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL) and United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAUA) today announced a framework agreement to cooperate extensively, linking their networks and services worldwide to the benefit of customers, and creating revenue opportunities and cost savings and other efficiencies. In addition, Continental plans to join United in the Star Alliance, the most comprehensive airline alliance in the world.

Breaking: GAO Sustains Boeing Tanker Protest

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:23:43 -0500

This is a breaking story and will be updated as details become available.

GAO Statement

"We recommend that the Air Force reopen discussions with the offerors, obtain revised proposals, re-evaluate the revised proposals and make a new source selection decision, consistent with our decision."

UPDATE:
The GAO sustained Boeing's tanker protest on seven different criteria. Explained in English. Follow the link below.

777-300ER - Then and Now

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:54:23 -0500

I've been working on two new features for the pre-Farnborough issue of Flight, one on 777 and the other on the 747-8. While researching yesterday, I came across a very interesting fact. With the help of the Way Back Machine, the historical archive of the entire internet, I found that the range of the 777-300ER has increased almost 11% (7,175 nm to 7,930 nm) since 2001! The maximum takeoff weight increased 25,000 lbs in that same time as well without a change in fuel capacity. To boot, the 777-200LR had a 6% increase in range too.

See for yourself.

November 21, 2001 ----------------- June 18, 2008